Los Angeles Lakers: One Player on Each Team Who Lakers Fans Hate to See

There are certain NBA players that love to beat up on the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers have been basketball's most successful franchise since the merger, and every team brings its A-game against them.

"Beat L.A." signs have been a staple for fans on opposing teams, and they have fueled a few players to great performances against the Lake Show.

Here is one player from every team that Lakers fans absolutely hate to see on the other end of the court. 

Atlanta Hawks: Josh Smith

Josh Smith is the type of athletic and versatile player that can frustrate the old, slow Los Angeles Lakers.

Smith is one of the most explosive leapers in basketball and has refined his offensive game.

In the only meeting between the Hawks and Lakers this season, Smith did a little bit of everything. He finished the night with 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals.

J-Smoove's ability to be a threat from anywhere on the court makes him a thorn in Lakers fans' sides.

Boston Celtics: Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce has been the Boston Celtics' franchise player throughout his career. Coming up big against the Los Angeles Lakers is part of his job description.

The Celtics have taken a step back this season, but Pierce was still productive in the two teams' only matchup this season. He posted a Larry Bird-esque line of 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

But the main reason that Lakers fans hate to see Pierce is that his mere presence conjures up painful memories of the 2007-08 NBA Finals. Pierce was the MVP of the series and averaged 21.8 points per game in addition to playing lock-down defense on Kobe Bryant.

The Celtics and Lakers have formed the greatest rivalry in professional basketball, and Pierce has done nothing but fuel the fire with big performances against his archnemesis.

Charlotte Bobcats: Gerald Henderson

While no member of the Charlotte Bobcats deserves praise due to their dismal start to the season, Gerald Henderson has been less atrocious than the rest of his teammates.

Henderson was his team's leading scorer when the Los Angeles Lakers trounced the Bobcats by 33 points earlier this year.

But last season, Charlotte split their two games with Los Angeles and Henderson came off the bench to score 18 points in the victory.

While the Bobcats roster does not strike fear in anyone around the league, Henderson is more worrisome to Lakers fans than anyone else on the team. 

Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose started this season by showing that he had not taken a step back after an MVP-winning campaign in 2011. Unfortunately, he also started this season against the Los Angeles Lakers.

On Christmas Day, Rose went off for 22 points and hit four three-pointers against the Lakers. He also lifted a shot over Pau Gasol with 4.8 seconds left to beat L.A. by one point.

Rose is one of the game's elite scorers and also leads the Bulls defense, which is one of the best in the league.

No team's fans want to see Rose line up against their squad. The Lakers are no exception.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving has been impressive in his first season and is an early favorite for the Rookie of the Year award. 

Irving looks like a promising talent capable of joining the ranks of the NBA's elite point guards. 

The Lakers, on the other hand, are still playing Derek Fisher and Steve Blake at the 1-spot. 

Irving dropped 21 points on the Lakers when the two teams faced off earlier in the season. If L.A. does not improve at point guard, the former Duke star will continue to terrorize the team in future matchups. 

Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki scored more than 20 points in each of his two meetings with the Los Angeles Lakers this year, but L.A. was able to win both those games.

Last season was a different story, and Nowitzki scored 25.3 points a game while obliterating the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.

The Lakers' embarrassing sweep at the hands of Nowitzki's Mavericks will forever be a scar on Los Angeles' legacy.

Nowitzki is one of the best shooters in basketball and seems to get immense pleasure out of lighting up the scoreboard against L.A.

Denver Nuggets: Al Harrington

The Denver Nuggets have faced the Los Angeles Lakers three times this season, and Al Harrington has had an excellent performance in every game.

The Nuggets lost two of the three matches, but Harrington had two 20-plus point games and a double-double. 

Harrington is a versatile and offensively gifted player. He is comfortable with the ball on the perimeter or in the post and exposes the Lakers lack of athleticism. 

Harrington has flourished as a scorer off the bench for Denver, especially when he faces the Lakers.

Detroit Pistons: Greg Monroe

The Detroit Pistons have not played the Los Angeles Lakers so far this season, but when they do, Greg Monroe is going to have a good game.

The two teams faced each other twice last season. The first meeting came early in the season, and Monroe had not worked his way into the rotation. In the second meeting, the center came off the bench to record 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Monroe has had a stellar season so far and is averaging 16.8 points and 10.1 rebounds.

The former Georgetown standout is poised to become part of the next generation of Laker-killers.

Golden State Warriors: Monta Ellis

The Golden State Warriors may be struggling, but Monta Ellis is still playing at a high level. 

Ellis is averaging more points than any shooting guard other than Kobe Bryant. He also has dished out more assists than any other player at his position.

The last time the Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers played, Ellis finished the game with 18 points and 10 assists.

Lakers fans may not get worried over a matchup with Golden State, but Ellis will put up numbers every time the two teams meet.

Houston Rockets: Luis Scola

Luis Scola first angered Los Angeles Lakers fans when the Houston Rockets faced L.A. in the 2009 Western Conference semifinals.

The Rockets looked dead in the water when Yao Ming injured himself in the third game of the series. But Scola moved over to center and recorded three straight double-digit-rebounding games, including a 24-point, 12-board performance in Game 6 to force an elimination match.

The teams have only faced each other once this season, and Scola was 10-of-18 from the field and scored 20 points. 

The Argentine is showing no signs of age at 31 years old, and will continue to torment the Lakers for a few more seasons.

Indiana Pacers: Roy Hibbert

The Indiana Pacers are one of the most improved teams in the NBA and owe much of their success to Roy Hibbert.

The All-Star put up 18 points and eight rebounds earlier this season to lead his team to victory against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Hibbert is starting to make a habit out of having great games against Los Angeles. Last year, he recorded 24 points and 12 rebounds in another Indiana victory over L.A.

Lakers fans can only hope that this trend does not continue. 

Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin definitely circles the days on the calendar when he faces the Los Angeles Lakers.

In the Los Angeles Clippers' two meetings with the their neighbors this season, Griffin has had 20-plus points both times.

Last year, Griffin recorded a double-double in three of the four games he played against his cross-town rivals.

Basketball fans love Griffin's highlight dunks, but Lakers fans are going to deal with bittersweet feelings every time he unleashes a posterizing jam against their beloved team. 

Memphis Grizzlies: Rudy Gay

Rudy Gay is an athletic swingman who is capable of scoring in bunches.

The Lakers are weak at small forward with Matt Barnes and Metta World Peace, so the team struggles to guard the elite players at that position.  

Gay is third among players at the 3-spot in points and rebounds per game. The two players ahead of him are LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

The Grizzlies' star is among the best at what he does and can cause the Lakers a lot of problems if he has a good shooting night. 

Miami Heat: LeBron James

The Miami Heat have only played the Los Angeles Lakers once this year, and LeBron James led his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. The Heat won 98-87.

James is the best basketball player alive, so Lakers fans are not alone in their desire to see him as far away from their arena as possible. 

But King James always goes a little bit harder against the Lakers. On Christmas day last year, he had a triple-double in a Miami win. On Christmas day in 2009, James led the Cavaliers to victory over L.A. with a 27-point, nine-assist performance.

Unfortunately for Lakers fans, any road to another NBA championship will likely go through James and the Heat.

Milwaukee Bucks: Ersan Ilyasova

While Ersan Ilyasova may not be as highly regarded as some of the other players that Los Angeles Lakers fans fear, he does play very well against L.A.

The power forward is a career 43 percent shooter, but has made 59 percent of his field goals in his last three games against the Lakers. The Milwaukee Bucks won two of those games.

When Los Angeles faced the Bucks this season, Ilyasova came off the bench and went 7-of-9 for 15 points in 25 minutes.

While Lakers fans are unlikely to get worked up over a matchup with Milwaukee, they would rest a little easier if Ilyasova was not involved. 

Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Love

Kevin Love tends to play well when he returns to Los Angeles.

The former UCLA Bruin dropped 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Minnesota Timberwolves' first meeting with the L.A. Lakers this year. He missed the second game due to illness.

In four games against the Lakers last season, Love had three double-doubles, including one 20-20 game.

Love and the T-Wolves are an up-and-coming team and may even sneak into the playoffs. Lakers fans can only hope that they have another couple years before Minnesota takes the next step and makes the Western Conference even tougher. 

New Jersey Nets: Brook Lopez

Brook Lopez scored 60 combined points in the New Jersey Nets' two games against the Los Angeles Lakers last season.

The Nets have not played the Lakers since acquiring Deron Williams. The point guard did routinely shred L.A. while with the Utah Jazz, but Lopez has turned in some equally impressive performances against the Lakers.

In his first crack at Los Angeles, he put up 25 points and nine rebounds, and then dropped 35 in the next meeting.

Lopez recently returned from a foot injury and may be even more of scoring threat when the two teams meet, as Williams will be dishing him the ball.

New Orleans Hornets: Trevor Ariza

Every time the Los Angeles Lakers face Trevor Ariza and the New Orleans Hornets, fans are reminded of management's mistake in letting him leave.

Ariza has turned into a decent player, providing his team with athleticism and solid defense while occasionally scoring some points. He is certainly not an All-Star, but he is a definite improvement over the players the Lakers currently have at small forward.

L.A. has three meetings with the Hornets before the season is over, and it will likely be the atrocious play of Metta World Peace rather than anything noteworthy from Ariza that will make Lakers fans want to turn off the television.

New York Knicks: Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin is a likable player, but Los Angeles Lakers fans were not happy with him when he scored 38 points and beat the team 92-85.

Lin shot 57 percent from the field in that game and also had seven assists.

The New York Knicks point guard exposed Los Angeles' deficiencies at point guard. Derek Fisher and Steve Blake are not championship-caliber starting point guards, while Lin is continually proving that he is.

Linsanity may be a feel-good story, but Lakers fans will not be experiencing any joy the next time Lin lights up their team.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant

The Oklahoma City thunder have taken the Western Conference by storm and are in excellent position to get the No. 1 seed.

Kevin Durant is having an MVP-caliber season. KD and LeBron James have been the best players in the NBA this year. 

When the Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers met before the All-Star break, Durant scored 33 points and Oklahoma City won 100-85. 

If the Lakers hope to make it back to the finals, they will almost certainly have to go through Kevin Durant and the Thunder. Lakers fans are understandably worried about their team's chances in this prospective matchup. 

Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard

After a lot of speculation, it now seems unlikely that Dwight Howard will be traded to the Lakers.

The Orlando Magic center reportedly said that he would not sign a contract extension if traded to Los Angeles.

In his only game against the Lakers this year, Howard had 21 points and 23 rebounds, just to remind L.A. fans what they might never have. 

While Howard has had success against Los Angeles with Orlando, he would be even more of a nightmare if he was in the Western Conference. This may become reality next season, as rumors have spread that Howard and Deron Williams will join forces in Dallas.

Philadelphia 76ers: Lou Williams

The Philadelphia 76ers have been one this season's surprises with their 21-15 start. One of the team's signature wins came on February 6 against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The game was close late into the fourth quarter, but Lou Williams scored Philadelphia's last nine points and earned a 95-90 victory. 

Williams was unstoppable in crunch time and has started to establish himself as one of the best sixth men in the NBA.

The Lakers have a weak bench, and Williams is capable of exploiting the second unit in future matchups. 

Phoenix Suns: Marcin Gortat

Marcin Gortat has three double-doubles in three games against the Los Angeles Lakers this season. 

Gortat had 20-plus points and 15-plus rebounds in two of those games and has established himself as one of the best centers in the game.

The Suns big man is ranked third in the NBA in field-goal percentage. He also ranks fifth among players at his position in scoring and third in rebounding.

If Steve Nash stays in Phoenix, Gortat will have a reliable point guard to feed him the ball, making the Suns another division rival with talent.

Portland Trail Blazers: Gerald Wallace

Gerald Wallace is a quality small forward, and the Los Angeles Lakers do not have a player who can match up with him. 

Wallace scored 31 points in the Portland Trail Blazers' first meeting the the Lakers. He had an off night the second time the two teams played.

But his scoring outburst earlier this season is not the only time he's put up solid numbers against L.A. The swingman had two double-doubles in three games against the Lakers last year, one with the Charlotte Bobcats and one with the Blazers.

If Portland and Los Angeles end up facing each other in the playoffs, Wallace will be a major concern for Lakers fans.

Sacramento Kings: Marcus Thornton

Marcus Thornton has only played against the Los Angeles Lakers twice since being traded to the Sacramento Kings. Both times, he lit the Lakers up.

In the last game of the 2010-11 regular season, Thornton put up 33 points and hit four three-pointers. When the two teams met earlier this year, the shooting guard scored 27 points and led the Kings to victory. 

Thornton has been a bright spot for Sacramento this year and is averaging 18.3 points per game. 

Lakers fans would rather not have this up-and-coming scorer on a team in their division. 

San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker

Tony Parker is having an All-Star season and the San Antonio Spurs are in excellent position to make a run deep into the playoffs.

Parker is averaging 19.1 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game and has always given the Los Angeles Lakers trouble.

The Frenchman is still one of the quickest guards in the league, and Derek Fisher has lost several steps in the past few seasons.

L.A. struggles against elite points guards; Parker is in that category. Lakers fans know what he is capable of and hope that the road to the finals does not have to go through San Antonio.

Toronto Raptors: Jose Calderon

The Toronto Raptors have been disappointing this year, but Jose Calderon has been of the team's few bright spots.

The Raptors lost to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this season by a narrow two-point margin. Calderon scored a game-high 30 points to keep his team close throughout the match.

In two games against the Lakers last season, the Spaniard had a combined 34 points and 20 assists.

L.A. almost always faces a mismatch at point guard, and Calderon has proven multiple times that he is capable of exploiting it. 

Utah Jazz: Paul Millsap

The Utah Jazz have plenty of talented frontcourt players, but Paul Millsap has been the one who most consistently hurt the Los Angeles Lakers.

In three meetings this season, the power forward posted these impressive scoring and rebounding statlines: 18 and 8; 29 and 9; 13 and 18. 

Millsap is slightly undersized for his position, but compensates with strength and effort. He is an effective inside presence with the ability to knock down jump shots and is a solid veteran player.

The Jazz have a balanced roster with a lot of players who can contribute, but Millsap seems to always be the guy scoring points against the Lakers. Utah would be a much easier matchup with him.

Washington Wizards: John Wall

John Wall had a career night in his only matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Wall had a personal-best 14 assists to go along with 22 points and three blocks.

The Washington Wizards have struggled this year, but the former No. 1 overall pick has the talent and athleticism to impact a game on any given night.

The Wizards may seem like an team that can be overlooked, but Wall is always ready to explode on unsuspecting opponents.